On the cover of Guitar Player

wileypickett

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"American Primitive Guitar" was a term used by an unknown writer in the 1960s to describe the playing of guitarist John Fahey. "American Primitive" had originally been applied to American painters like Grandma Moses and their ilk, and all it meant was self taught, untrained or unschooled.

The term gained a little bit of currency and was subsequently applied to guitarists Leo Kottke, Robbie Basho, Peter Lang. But it has in the past 10 years become a hip way of describing a bunch of young players, many of whom have little in common, and in some cases aren't even American!

Which is to say that like all terms used to pigeonhole certain kinds of music, it risks becoming meaningless through overuse, often by writers who don't know what they're talking about.

I played a show at the Bing Crosby Theater in Spokane, WA, a year or two ago, and when I got to the theater the marquis said "AN EVENING OF PRIMITIVE GUITAR"! (There wasn't enough room on the marquis for "American.")

I wondered if people expected me to come on in a loincloth and beat on a guitar with the hind leg of an antelope.

Glenn
 
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chazmo

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Bwahahaha! I've got a mental picture of dinner at Medievil Manor in my head now. :)

Great stuff, Glenn. Best wishes (as always)!
 

Westerly Wood

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(Or as close as I'm ever likely to get!) *Frets* is a separate magazine within *Guitar Player*. Cover shows me playing my Guild D50 with the Brazilian rosewood back. Should be on the newsstands now, or within a day or two.

The first link is to the digital version of the magazine cover (hit "enlarge" to admire the guitar):

http://mazdigital.com/webreader/36133?page=0

The second link is to the website version of the article / interview itself:

http://www.guitarplayer.com/frets/1422/glenn-jones-confounds-the-conventional-on-fleeting/56752

(BTW, all the guitar tracks on my new album, referred to in the article, are played on my acquired-after-this-photo-was-taken DV72.)

Thanks for indulging me!

Glenn

Right on Genn, that is awesome! Great pic. That D50 has a fantastic top hue, and the rosewood is nice and light too. Congrats on the exposure!

Cool quote: "It’s very easy to play pretty music on the guitar, and I’m not afraid to play pretty, but I think that if you’re going to play pretty, you also need to play ugly."
 
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wileypickett

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Contrast is a good thing!

As for that D50, it had work done to it by Guild New Hartford. Chris Seeger replaced the bridge and took off the neck so he could fix the neck block, which had moved over time. He and Kim immediately confirmed the back as Brazilian but neither were positive about the sides.

I shot some pics a couple years ago of the back to post here, and the camera (an auto focus job) couldn't focus on the back, maybe because the Brazilian is do deep and rich? I've been meaning to try again -- maybe when I get back home.

The print version of that Guitar Player just hit the stands. Billy Gibbons is on the "real" cover!

Glenn
 

Zelja

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Great stuff Glenn, must be good to be getting some recognition like that.

Really enjoyed the links that Sal posted on the first page & then other videos on youtube. Lovely stuff.
 

AcornHouse

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Wanna see my picture on the cover
Wanna buy five copies for my mother...
Wanna see my smilin' face
On the cover of Guitar Player!

Congrats!
 

Westerly Wood

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Of Its Own Kind is brilliant. Makes me miss my D50. Really great playing and perseverance Glenn. So patient. And I hear a lot of John Fahey in there. Similar picking patterns.
 
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walrus

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I was going to tell everyone to skip past the banjo when I posted that link! :hopelessness:

To each his own...

walrus
 

Aristera

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Glenn,

I feel so fortunate to have met both you and your wife at LMG IV. I am still using the partial capo you sent me. The only tune I've ever uploaded to YouTube puts it to good use with the DADEAE tuning with partial capo at the 7th fret you showed me.

James
 

wileypickett

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Fantastic to hear this James! I was commissioned to make about a dozen partial capos last year. A couple people have really taken to them, but many people I don't hear back from, so I'm thrilled when I hear that folks are getting something out of them.

On my new album (Fleeting) I use partial capos on every song, including the two banjo pieces! I first came up with these things in 1989, and they've been a total game changer for me, a means to getting some unusual tunings and a spur to writing new pieces.

Would love to hear your partial capo composition. What's the YouTube link?

Cheers!
Glenn

Glenn,

I feel so fortunate to have met both you and your wife at LMG IV. I am still using the partial capo you sent me. The only tune I've ever uploaded to YouTube puts it to good use with the DADEAE tuning with partial capo at the 7th fret you showed me.

James
 
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